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Ras-A Studio overhauls mid-century House Under a Bridge in LA
A dated hillside residence in Los Angeles has been overhauled with light-filled interiors and a new stairwell by local firm Ras-A Studio.
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The renovation of the mid-century-modern building was completed by Robert Sweet of Ras-A Studio, based nearby in Redondo Beach, for a creative director based in LA.
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The client spent some time living the in property before the architect was brought on board to rethink its spaces.
"David waited to see out how the house lived — to figure out what worked and what didn't," said Sweet.
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The residence, now known as House Under a Bridge, is located beneath the Shakespeare Bridge in the Los Feliz neighbourhood. The overpass features arched supports and gothic-style turrets that is visible from an outdoor patio.
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"We really wanted to view this architecture from the house, so we replaced a solid wall between the shifting roof planes with a clerestory window," the architect said.
The two-storey building measures 1,312 square feet (square metres), with a refurbished double-height living room and lofted dining area among the principle interior spaces.
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The homeowner requested an extension for a new guest bath and laundry room, but "due to the hillside zoning constraints, we could not expand the building footprint", the architect said.
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Therefore, a small addition was built under an existing crawl space below the upper level, in order to accommodate these extra rooms.
The hillside home is split-level, and its floor plan follows the natural grade of the site, with each of the floors extending out to grade.
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Before the renovation, the master bedroom was small and there was an underutilised hallway between the master and living room below.
The architect removed the hallway and created a new master bedroom in its place, which is surrounded by glazing and accessed from a newly designed stairwell.
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"When David needs privacy in the master, he simply draws the curtains," said Sweet. "It's kind of like having a large picture window, but it happens to be on the interior."
Upgrades to the building include dual-pane, low-energy glass, and operable windows to allow for passive venting and cooling. Original posts and beams have been insulated, and coated with a white reflective coating.
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Los Angeles has a plethora of houses built in the early- and mid-20th century, which have needed a refresh to bring them up-to-spec with contemporary living. Other examples include a renovated 1920s bungalow coloured pink in Echo Park by Productora, and an landmarked 1950s residence in Bel Air that received a cantilevered extension from Andrea Lenardin Madden.
Photography is by Lauren Moore.